This invention relates to a device for generating hot vortex rings of highly concentrated vorticity and, more particularly the invention is concerned with providing a means for generating and propelling vortex rings through cloud cover or atmospheric obstacles to create a column of relatively clear air through which a light may be projected or through which smokestack effluents may be propelled.
It is a well known fact that it is more dangerous to land an aircraft at times of limited visibility especially low ceiling night time conditions. Under these adverse conditions, presently available beacons must be extremely powerful in order to be seen by the pilot and most times the aircraft must be brought to low altitudes before visual contact can be made with the lights on the landing runway.
It would be most desirable to provide a means for penetrating the low ceiling with the airport beacons so that the pilot could see the outline of the airport runway from relatively high altitudes and thereby accurately guide the aircraft from early in the landing approach. Thus, it can be seen that presently available unaugmented systems of high intensity lights would be significantly improved if the effective penetration of the light beacon could be substantially increased. The hereinafter described invention accomplished this desirable result.
Now considering the use of the invention on a chimney or smokestack, it should be noted that the structures are built to great heights in an attempt to carry effluents into the upper atmosphere far away from the earth's surface. In certain areas, particularly those subject to relatively frequent thermal inversions, many times the effluents become trapped in the lower atmosphere and pollute the earth's surface even though they are released at the outlet of a chimney of great height. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a means for propelling the effluents in the chimney through a greater distance before being overcome by viscosity. In this way shorter smokestacks could be used even on days when their use would ordinarily cause widespread pollution at ground level. The hereinafter described invention shows a means for greatly reducing the amount of ground level pollution by enabling the smokestack effluents to penetrate atmospheric obstacles such as thermal inversions.